Despite strong growth in the field of gender and science over the past fifteen years, historical studies of gender and mathematics are all but nonexistent. This study will attempt to remedy this situation by focusing, through a historical case study, on the question of where do mathematics and gender meet. More specifically, although mathematics has often been portrayed as a rigorous body of knowledge which epitomizes objectivity and freedom from worldly concerns, mathematical practice takes place through interpersonal interaction and is therefore subject to a variety of entrenched social practices and deeply held beliefs. This study focuses on one social element, gender, and analyzes its relationship to mathematical practice in eighteenth century Britain. First, the study aims to understand the involvement of women as well as men in mathematics in eighteenth century England. Women's exclusion from professional life in this era means that locating mathematics in popular culture - in periodicals, public lectures and texts intended for a wide audience - is fundamental to this project. Second, the study seeks to understand the notion of mathematics as gendered. Although we might agree that mathematics to day is largely perceived as `unfeminine,` the study asks: was that the case in eighteenth-century England? The study focuses for its methodology on The Ladies' Diary, a periodical printed annually from 1704 to 1840. It published mathematical problems which were submitted and answered by its numerous readers, both male and female. It is a rich text on the ways both men and women perceived mathematics.
